With more than 101,000 members 1. FC Köln is the fourth largest football club in Germany. Shortly after its founding in 1948. 1. FC Köln became known for being a pioneer in the professionalization of football. First club president Franz Kremer was one of the instrumental figures in the inception of the Bundesliga.

To this day, innovation is a core value of the three-time German Champion and four-time German Cup Champion. The club has regularly been one of the first football clubs to adopt new technologies, for instance Virtual Reality or digital payments, and its sophisticated use of social media has been award-winning.

1. FC Köln also represents the heart and soul of Cologne – the fourth largest city in Germany. 80 % of the just about one million citizens of the city claim to have a vested interest in the club

1. FC Köln is a club consistently in the focal point of media channels with about 1.5 billion contacts every year. 1. FC Köln knows when to be professional, but also knows when to have fun. This can be felt when Hennes VIII. enters the stadium on a home match.

The billy goat has become one of the most popular and recognizable mascots in football, particularly when 1. FC Köln competed in the UEFA Europa League last season.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

AR/VR

Smart Stadiums

Fan Engagement

Fan Engagement

e-commerce

Player’s Health & Safety

Media & Broadcasting

Performance & Coaching

Wearables

Betting

ABOUT HYPE SPIN ACCELERATOR

With partnerships in four continents, HYPE Sports Innovation has built the first global sports-innovation startup accelerator network, hosted by academic institutions and sports clubs.

The HYPE SPIN Accelerator helps startups from all over the world to convert their ideas into a bona fide innovation and solution, showcase it on the world stage and offer various opportunities to connect, learn from and interact with industry leaders.

Schedule

15/8/2018 Applications Open

Submit your application

25-26/10/2018 Bootcamp

Up to 25 startups will participate in a 2 day Bootcamp, where they pitch in front of the selection committee

11/3/2019 Demo Day

Pitch your startup before a crowd of global sports brands, clubs and investors

15/10/2018 Applications Close

12/11/2018 Program Kickoff

Up to 12 startups will be selected to take part in the SPIN Accelerator